Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1887-09-01
THE MONSTER GUNS.
Some of the Heavy Cannon Made for
Forts and Ships.
The Formidable Showing Made by
Several of the Foreign Nations
The Mighty Armstrong Guns
The Krupp Cannon.

The havoc made in the Atlanta's fix
lures by the inadequaey of her gun car
riages to hold aud control her pivot
guns calls attention to the fact thag
VII lie the latter are very powerful Tor al
unarmorgG cruiser of her size, they would
make small shog com pared with the
heaviest ordnance now carried in war
ships.
The progress of thirty years in con
structiAg heavy guns has been extraordi
nary. The largest pieces found on wa.
vessels in 1860 threw ball weighing
sixty eight pounds, with an initial yeloe-
ity of 1870 feet per second, and an en-
ergy of LOO foot tons. Now initial We
locities in high-power guns have been
increased to 2,100 feet projectiles at the
mailman weigh as much as 1890 pounds,
and in some cases are propelled by
charges of nearly half ton of powder,
while the 1l0-guns of the Ben Bow reach
an energy of about $4,000 foot tons.
Passing over the triumphs obtained by
intermediate calibres, which were remark
able in their day, we find that the longest
French steel guns, such as are used for
the armament of the Terrible, completed
at Brest, the Requin, built at Bordeaux,
the Indomitable, built at L'0rient, and
the Caiman, finished at Toulon weigh
each about seyenty-six tons. They deliv-
er projectile weighing 1,716 pcunds,
with muzzle velocity of 1889 feet per
second, and muzzle energy of $4,000
foot tons. The guns are rihed breech-
leaders. The French have other power
ful guns, those constructed on the Barge
system being we'll known.
The Armstrong guns now mounted for
service in the Italian armor-clads Duilio,
Dandolo, Italia, a2d Lepanto weigh 100
tons each, and throw projectila of 1000
pounds. These have long been familiar,
but the later breechloading guns are inn
proyements over the early muzzle leaders.
The most powerful of them take pow
der charge of about 772 pounds, and have
an initial velocity of 1885 feet per sec
ond and muzzle energy of $1,000 foot
tons. Guns of 105 tons have also been
made at Elswick for the Franceso LAURA,
the Andrea Dona, and the Morosini. In
these the weight of the charge is 800
pounds the weight of the projectile 1000
pounds, aud the muzzle velocity 2,019
feet per second, the muzzle energy S.
547 foot tons. These will undoubtedly
prove most formidable weapons.
The largest Krupp gun weighs nearly
119 tons. 1t is over 46 feet long, has a
calibre of 1914 inches, and fires shot
weighing 2,314 pounds, with muzze
velocity of 800 feet. The maxium ele-
walton gives it a range of nearly ~
miles. Its power of penetration into
wrought iron is estimated at about 4
inches at the muzzie, 81 inches at she
distance of LOO yards, and 80 inches at
1900 yards. AT the distance OF three
miles its striking average is still about
$4,000 foot tons.
The English 1l0-ton gun, mannfuactur
ed at Elswick, is about A feet lopg, and
its actual weight 247,7s5 pounds. The
screw block, removed in loading, weighs
2 tons. The projecsile is bolt weigh
ing 1900 pounds, and 10 inches in di
ameter. With $50 pounds of powder the
actual muzzle velocity attained was 2078
feet, and the muzZle energy 34000foot
tons; so that with $50 pounds, which the
gun is constructed TO use, an energy or
the projectile of 62,700-foot tors Is ex.
pected. The recoil of the gun is very
small The British also have a powerful
new gun in their 63-ton steel breech-load-
er, which will be carried on the Rodney.
1t is expected to throw - inch shot.
of 1850 pounds, with a powder charge
of $50 and to attain 2,1OO feet muzzIe
velocity. Should these expectations be
realized, this gun, though much lighter,
will be more destructive than the s0-ton
gun OF the Infexible, which takes pro-
jectile of 100 pounds, with 2 cartridge
OF $50 pounds, reaching muzzle velocity
of 1000 feet.
1t is said that the noxt step attempted
in heavy gun construction will be that of
a $50 ton monster, this project being at
trIbuted to the Essen works. IL would
throw a she'll six feet long, weighing q
ton and half. There are also some guns
under construction which are expected To
accomplish great results on somewhat
new theories, as in the case of the one
manufactured for Colonel Hope. This is
to take an enormous powder charge, and
to have pondingly great penetrat-
i've effect. Bat without going into the
possible successes of the future, those
which have already been achieved sre
sufficiently astonishing.